How to send murder mystery invitations and assign the roles

The invitation is the first clue of the evening. It builds excitement, announces the character and gets your guests talking. Getting it right is half the work of a great murder mystery party.

When should you send them?

Whenever you like, even on the day. Want to play tonight? Send the invitations in the afternoon: everyone puts together an outfit from what they have, and it is often hilarious. If you have a few days, make the most of them: your guests will have time to find a real costume, and the wait builds anticipation. Just avoid sending them weeks ahead, or the excitement fades.

What an invitation should include

• The character's name and their place in the story (the business partner, the neighbour, the cook...).
• A short introduction: what everyone knows about them.
• The suggested outfit, including colours if they matter in the case.
• The date, time and place of the party.

What it should not include: the character's secrets. Those are in the file handed out on the night. If a guest knows their secrets in advance, they might let something slip.

Our kits include a ready-made invitation for every character. For The Vernier Case, they are cards for Laurent's 50th birthday; for La Queimada du Pazo, invitations to the manor's harvest party.

How to assign the roles

A few simple rules to keep everyone happy:

1. Start with the essential roles. The host's book tells you which ones must always be played.
2. Give talkative roles to talkative people. Some characters have a lot to say and a lot to hide: give them to confident guests.
3. Avoid roles that are too close to real life. Playing a character who looks too much like your real situation can be awkward.
4. Be careful with couples. Putting them in opposing or allied roles can be very funny; mentioning it first avoids misunderstandings.
5. The killer is not your choice. If you play too, you do not know who the killer is: hand out roles by personality, not by plot.

By message or on paper?

Both work. The invitation PDF is easy to send by message or e-mail. If you have time, a printed version in an envelope always makes an impression.

After sending them

Encourage your guests to get into character straight away: a group chat for the evening, a few mysterious messages, a photo of the outfit they found. The party starts well before the doorbell rings.

For the rest of the preparation, read how long it takes to prepare a murder mystery party.